I am no monk! But there are soul twisting moments during every build when you wonder why you are in a dark, cold and damp workshop at one in the morning with epoxy dripping down your neck. I'm not promising this will light, warm or dry your workshop (or even unstick the epoxy) but it might help!
- "Measure twice and cut once" was never more true with a kit - there is not a lot of spare material to make a mistakes with so really do measure twice - to be sure - before cutting.
On important stuff like the dimensioning of the sheer clamps with all the positions of bulkheads, clamps, beams and cockpit centers - have an assistant cross check your work.
- Clean the shop after EVERY session
- Remember your last kayak trip. The next one is your light at the end of the tunnel.
- Old Chinese proverb say - "If in doubt - read the instructions!"
Roy's build manual really does tell you how to do it!
- If it is all going wrong - walk away and take a deep breath and start again later.
If you have wet epoxy in the mix - wipe it all off with a rag before walking away!
- While you have walked away - sharpen your tools
- it will make the next job go easier.
- While you have walked away - clean the shop -
you will find that lost part you have been looking for all week under the pile of shavings.....
- You can't put it right later or cover it up with paint - it will look even worse.
- Invite your neighbours for a show and tell - early on in the build.
Once they know what you are doing you are less likely to get grief during noisy operations.
- No matter how perfect the weather - and even if you had a "show and tell".
Don't start sanding before 9.00am on a Sunday morning
- unless you live on your own in the middle of nowhere.
- Clean the shop - again!
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